As I stated in the OOC thread, the plucky Acolytes have been staying at Inquisitor Herlok's island manse on the ocean planet of Spectoris waiting for the last member of the cell (Huw) to arrive. The island is located about an hour's travel by hoverboat from the planet's Imperial habitat. The artificial island is roughly circular, about 2 kloms in diameter. The "beach" is covered with sand, rocks, and various imported plants over a deeper metal layer. Toward the center of the island, the "ground" slopes upward, and about the central third is occupied by the Inquisitor's estate proper, with its myriad servants and guest quarters (where you have been staying), libraries, and so forth.

You have been rudely awoken in the early morning by messenger cherub and informed that the last member of your cell (that is, Huw) is en route to the "island" by hover vehicle. Your are instructed to meet him at the docks; once he arrives, you are all to follow the cherub to your meeting with Herlok, where he will brief you on your mission.

And so, you (except Huw of course) are standing at the docks in the early morning, likely still half-asleep. On the horizon, the towers of the imperial habitat can be seen against the red of the sunrise. Small, brightly colored ornithoid creatures chirp and hiss in the trees. A small hover vehicle appears in the distance, making a beeline for your location, and stops at the docks. The doors begin to open.

(And Huw will step out whenever the player shows up.)

Last edited by InquisitorChris on Sat May 22, 2010 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Huw disembarked with a small hop, placing a grey canvas pack on the sand. He turned to regard the pilot of the vehicle.

"Thanks for the ride! May your roads be free of debris."

His clothing was especially drab, all made of the same colorless canvas material. The pants were double-layered around the knees, and his jacket bore an incredibly worn embroidery of the Imperial aquila on the back, below the left shoulder. He adjusted his cap, which had the word "PATHS!" stained into it in black. He squinted against the oncoming sunlight, brushing a stray lock of platinum blond hair out of his eyes. The beginning of a grin was starting to form as he sized up his associates.

"I don't know how good a well-wish that is for hoverin' things, though. I'm Huw, by the way, and I guess you're all expecting me?"

Chani was stirred awake by the cherub and for a few moments she considered the strange situation she was in. Her people called it a volti subito, but she doubted her ancestors had thought of it when they penned the voce so many years ago. There were no words to describe how her world had changed, no music she could remember that captured the feeling of terror and anticipation of facing a stage much grander and different from the one where she had performed.

She sat up briskly, yawning while she swatted at the annoying little baby-creature. At first the sight of them had bothered her, but now she knew what they were, more or less. A nuisance. Stupid mechanical creatures.

She stood and looked out the window of her room, to the ocean, to the world she'd landed on just a few days ago. Already she was forgetting the song of the machine she rode, the rise and fall of deep bass and tenor of a ship. Perhaps she would make her journey eternal, but she... saw little point. No one would appreciate the rising fear of the string-instruments while the horns blared out the cacophony of the spaceship.

She stepped up to the wardrobe she had been allowed to put her clothes in, and opened it up, wondering what service was required of her that did not demand she wore only her guerriero uniform. She had two sets of it, neatly washed and folded, but hadn't worn the thing since the conductor of her ensemble had called her into his office... where she had met the people who wanted her song for themselves. Her eyes instinctively darted to her blade where it lay, sheathed and upon a stand prepared for it.

How had this all happened, she thought as she picked out a pleasant enough dress, one she had worn while performing as a noble of Holy Terra in a play meant to instruct the men and women of her larger ensemble about the life outside of their homeworld. It wasn't grand, but resources were sparse, many men and women were shipped out to unknown stages to fight against a threat none of them knew existed before the Great Conductor's light opened their eyes.

The dress was shimmering green, almost like scales, and didn't really work with her chalk-white hair... and the staffs for her clef were too exposed... a part of her recent cantata, the scab still there, showed and she quickly put on a pair of long-armed gloves to hide it. Deciding that she at least looked somewhat proper to meet, officially, her "cell" she set out towards the beach, walking as one should in such a dress, with the exaggerated modesty of a well-bred aristocrat.

Down at the beach, she arrived just in time to see Huw step out onto the sand, and she gave him a cautious glance before nodding, opening her mouth and speaking in a voice that at first sounded almost like the thrill of a bird. "I am Chani Odessa, it is my pleasure to meet you finally, Huw."

Jim was still having trouble believing that the island was a work of artifice. He'd been surprised by technology before, the initial shock usually only lasting a few moments before acceptance kicked in, but this was different. It wasn't the scale of the place. He'd travelled between worlds on void ships so large they could have fit his hometown in their holds but they'd been great metal behemoths, clearly wrought by the hand of man. This place seemed so natural it was eerie. Not eerie enough to prevent him from enjoying his stay though. The golden sands and endless sea provided a desperately needed break from the rainy, rotting hell of Sinophia Magna.

He stood on the beach wearing shirt and slacks, his coat left back at the mansion, and watched the the craft come in and dispense its passenger on the shore.

As the messenger cherub woke her with a shrill shriek from across the room, Kara Isaan rolled out of bed, the last words of the Litanies of Protection slipping from her lips. Grasping for her dagger she came up in a crouch, her eyes wild for just a moment as she was taken back to her days on Dusk. Kara shuddered for just a moment and took a deep, calming breath as she had been trained. Purging the tendrils of the Warp and the dark strands of her dreams from the forefront of her mind she managed to comprehend that the strange creature was trying to inform her that the last member of the team was assembled.

Swatting the creature away she quickly bound her hair in a pony tail and glanced over at the closet in the corner of the room. In all her life on Dusk and certainly in the monastery-fortress on Terra her living arrangements and clothing choices had been rather 'sparse'. Still, if you weren't used to much the lack didn't both you... much. The closet presented her with an embarrassment of choices and she smiled to herself before the little voice in her head warned her of the sins of pride and avarice. Kara stepped forward and considered her multitude of choices; should she wear pale blue woolen dress, her penitent robes or the deep blue leather pants and white laced blouse. She giggled a bit hysterically; or she could wear her work out briefs and halter top... that wouldn't do. After a moment she settled on the pants and blouse and sheathing her dagger at her side she walked briskly down to the dock.

The walk to the dock was uneventful albeit slightly disturbing nonetheless. The entire island they were on was an artifice of mankind rather than a natural construction of honest rock and soil. Despite her decade and more on Terra there was enough of the village girl still in her to recoil slightly from slight twist in the aura of the Warp caused by the actions of man and the faint taint of metal and oils in the air.

The other two members of the group were there on the dock before her and she slid quietly next to them under the cover of the roar of the ugly machine skimming across the waves. She nodded distantly to the bulky man, Jim was his name and with a more friendly nod to the tall, slender woman in the elegant green dress and long gloves. For a moment her eyes unfocused as she gazed at the gloves; a day dream flitted across her mind of the woman twisting into a soaring tree with the wind singing in its branches. Then she snapped back to the present with a half smile on her face.

After the other two spoke she stepped forward toward the shorter, wiry man and raised both palms in greeting. She was approximately Huw's height although more slender. Dressed in deep blue, almost black leather pants, a loose-fitting white blouse and an ornate dagger sheathed at her hip, Kara was ethereally beautiful with striking green eyes and light, almost strawberry blond hair setting off her pale skin. Still there was something different, almost fey about her in the glint of her eyes and the way she stood.

"We are complete now it seems Huw. I am Kara Isaan and I greet you with the Emperor's grace."

OOC: Given Matt's description, I think everyone can see the Sanctioning Brand, or at least part of it. However, it's quite likely you wouldn't know what it is. If Kara has been less than open regarding her psyker status, I can make Lore rolls to determine if people recognize it. If she's not, I'll just assume everybody knows. It's up to Matt. (You'll know soon enough anyway.)

InquisitorChris wrote:OOC: Given Matt's description, I think everyone can see the Sanctioning Brand, or at least part of it. However, it's quite likely you wouldn't know what it is. If Kara has been less than open regarding her psyker status, I can make Lore rolls to determine if people recognize it. If she's not, I'll just assume everybody knows. It's up to Matt. (You'll know soon enough anyway.)

<ooc> Kara would not volunteer that she was as psyker but she would not deny it if it was brought up. She's not looking to stir up prejudice and distrust because of her nature nor is she going to start off hiding anything deliberately. Unlike my earlier unsanctioned psyker she is at least 'street legal'.

She would have kept the brand at least mostly covered even while exercising as posted in the OOC thread. The brand covers her upper chest and the head of the eagle probably extends to the base of her throat at the very least. Her blouse isn't so loose as to be showing cleavage but it is laced open at the neck </ooc>

helvorn wrote:She would have kept the brand at least mostly covered even while exercising as posted in the OOC thread. The brand covers her upper chest and the head of the eagle probably extends to the base of her throat at the very least. Her blouse isn't so loose as to be showing cleavage but it is laced open at the neck </ooc>

Matt

OK. (Can somebody tell me via what function I send messages to individual players on this forum? I mean embedded text, not PMs.)

Sorry, Chris, but there isn't really a way to do that outright on this board. What we normally do is use spoiler tags marked with whatever player or character(s) it's directed to, and just trust in the honor system there.

Also, helvorn, nothing against you, but we don't really allow signatures in the RP forums here, even ones you put in by hand. Not your fault that you weren't aware of that; I just noticed we only mentioned that in the other RP forum before just now. But could you please not sign your posts in RP threads?

Chani had not expected herself to be the tallest of the gathered four... but she was, by far. Even Jim, who from a distance had seemed to be about the height of the men from Corsa, was quite a bit shorter. It was a strange experience.

This caught her momentarily off-guard, but she recovered her tranquillo and nodded with a faint smile on her lips, she had seen Kara Isaan before, even spoken to her briefly, and she would make an effort to fit in with this 'cell'. The word was unfamiliar to her, sounded plain, but she had to adapt. Adapt, adapt, adapt.

Chani was a typical woman of Corsa, tall, relatively slender and, were it not for the tattoos, would have had soft, warm features. Now, however, she appeared naturally imposing, as the tattoos in her face made her resemble closely a bird of prey. Her chalk-white hair was tied up in a pony-tail much like Kara, but unlike that woman there wasn't much mystique about her, she was fair, not breathtakingly beautiful but pleasant enough to look upon, and she carried herself, despite the act of refined dignity, with a wariness and control that hinted at her training.

"We seem to be so. Our instructions were to follow this cherub." She spoke briskly, but her tone didn't hint at any stress. She was absentmindedly twisting a part of her glove back and forth a little and she was looking out across the water with an almost worried look.

Capntastic wrote:Anyways, nice to meet you all. Looks like this tiny guy is getting antsy though, huh? Hopefully it wants to get inside, right?"

Huw cast a distrustful eye up to the sky from under his hat before making ready to lock step with the cherub.

Kara glanced back at the little creature and laughed; "Oh the soul less one wants us to follow. It seems we are to meet our new master and perhaps learn of our fate." She turned and headed back toward the center of the island following the cherub.

Chani gave Huw a look of slight disbelief and seemed, for a moment, unsure how to respond. Finally, with an incredulous look on her face, she let her fingers trail over the tattoos in her face and hummed something that, for all present, seemed familiar... it was like a song, but there were no lyrics, and her voice changed pitch and depth rapidly, as if she was trying to be the whole orchestra at the same time.

Then she shook her head, "You wish to have the markings, but not be a guerriero?" she asked finally with her sing-song voice. "I do not understand, why would you note the staff, but not the cantata? You are strange, such an idea... scatenato."

And with that she followed after the cherub as well, still looking a little ruffled from Huw's remark.

Jak Snide wrote:"I'm sure the man didn't mean anything by it, miss." Jim said as he turned to follow the pack. "Different worlds, different customs. Where abouts do you come from?" he asked the new arrival.

Regardless of what Huw or anyone else says, the cherub makes a high-pitched sqwaking noise (not unlike those of the ornithoids in the trees) and begins weaving back and forth slowly up the path that leads from the docks to Herlock's estate.

(OOC: this gives you about 15 minutes of gametime to roleplay interactions with each other. This is especially useful since it's unclear to me how much the characters know about each other.)

Chani frowned slightly, her hawk-like markings making her look like she was squinting her eyes at him. She had a slight pout, looking as if she was about to argue the point, but then relaxed a little and nodded.

"Mi spiace, this world is strange to me. My harmony on this stage is alien, ridicolosamente, I cannot distinguish emotions easily." She raised her dress a fraction of an inch as they came in on the gravel-path leading up to the house, looking as if she did not want to dirty her clothes.

"I have been told little of our play... Jim, was it?" she looked slightly nervous, "only that something greater than the Conductor's will on Corso needed my song." she glanced over at the others, "do any of you know for what purpose our troupe was gathered?"

ChristianC wrote:"I have been told little of our play... Jim, was it?" she looked slightly nervous, "only that something greater than the Conductor's will on Corso needed my song." she glanced over at the others, "do any of you know for what purpose our troupe was gathered?"

Kara walked quietly up the path next to the others. Her feet were bare and made little noise on the gravel. It seemed that the cherub made her nervous as she gave it the occasional distrustful glance. "The ways of the Inquisition are subtle and dangerous. I have thrown the bones and nothing is clear to me. We have warriors, a priest and a musician." She laughs; I'd expect our purpose will be something deadly."

"You say that like the Emperor's work can be anything but dangerous, miss." he said, half way between joking and serious. "Though if our master sees fit to ply us with luxuries before dispatching us elsewhere then I guess he's got something real nasty in store for us."

Jak Snide wrote:"You say that like the Emperor's work can be anything but dangerous, miss." he said, half way between joking and serious. "Though if our master sees fit to ply us with luxuries before dispatching us elsewhere then I guess he's got something real nasty in store for us."

Kara laughs prettily; "Oh, there are just shades of dangerous in the service of the Golden Throne; some just get you killed more quickly." She twirled about, waving her arms to indicate the scenery around them; "This could all be a trial of our faith, though our Master might not appreciate that level of hubris on behalf of his servants."

Huw shrugged, trying to keep abreast of the cherub, flashing grins to his new associates while trying to change the topic of discussion's route to a lighter one.

"I'm just pleased that it seems to be a job with travel as a fringe benefit, sorta. Well, different sorta travel than any of the courier groups I've signed on with. Just getting here was a trip and a half."

Capntastic wrote:"I'm just pleased that it seems to be a job with travel as a fringe benefit, sorta. Well, different sorta travel than any of the courier groups I've signed on with. Just getting here was a trip and a half."

OOC: have you given any thought as of yet to how How get involved with the =I=?

IC: By this point the group has made it up the hill and are entering the estate. The large classical, white pillars that flank the entrance to the courtyard soar over you. The cherub continues to lead the way.

OOC: so, I'll have another couple of posts from you guys rping the group meet, and then start the meeting with the Inquisitor.

Chani's step were in a slightly faster than average step and she seemed to consciously make them extra loud. It was as if she was tip-toeing, compensating the speed of her steps by making the distance shorter so she wouldn't walk past the others. Her steps went tap-tap-tap-tap-taptap-tap-tap-tap-tap, but she seemed unfocused on keeping her steps to this rhythm, instead looking at the others with a semi-puzzled expression.

"Naturally it is dangerous... Jim." she inclined her head, "my voice will sing what tune He desires, but I am disconcerted by our long wait, if our master requires the death of anyone, why wait? The song will only be further diluted." she shook her head slightly and took in the surroundings, "I am merely a tool, one of many, to direct the flow of the song, nothing more. It matters little to me how my conductor wishes to keep his tools when he is not using them."

"That sure is a nice way of saying that we'll only slow you down, miss. In the future just say that you're better than the rest of us rather than getting all loquacious." He kept a light enough tone to his voice to make it clear that no real offence was taken. "Chances are that our master has plans for us that go beyond shooting scum and cutting heretics."

Kara unconsciously follows the rhythm established by Chani's feet. The tapping brings to mind other drums; drums in the darkness but with a quick mental exercise she banishes that thought. Those kind of thoughts would get her in trouble. Those kind of things had been banished from the outer layers of her mind since the Black Ships had taken her away into a world of excruciating pain and mental salvation. To avoid that path she consciously engaged the physical world around her.

"Chani, do you follow the Dance of the Blade? On my homeworld there were some that focused their strengths through rhythm."

"Some read what they want in the words of a song. Care more for doing your role than protect its importance from imagined threats." Her words weren't consciously poisonous, but Jim could tell she was at least attempting to gloss over his perceived insult. She nodded to Kara and sighed theatrically.

"I am guerriero, the soldier-mercenary. My role is seldom of importance in the giocare, but occasionally the eroe hides in our folds." she remembered she'd left her sword in her room and looked towards it. "...Yes, I wield the sword, my Aria dell'Imperator."

ChristianC wrote:"I am guerriero, the soldier-mercenary. My role is seldom of importance in the giocare, but occasionally the eroe hides in our folds." she remembered she'd left her sword in her room and looked towards it. "...Yes, I wield the sword, my Aria dell'Imperator."

Kara cocked her head and smiled; "Your culture revolved around the beauty of the music then?"

Chani frowned a little and then nodded, looking as if she was trying to figure out what to say. "It... yes, music in the sense you might mean, yes. It is strange to me to be in a place where words are spoken without thought given to structure, to melody..." she gave a slight smile and shrugged.

"Music is life, and life is beautiful... but it is terrible in its greatness. Is that not such where you hail from?"

OOC: Apparently this is a different board from the one I've been posting to. Darned confusing. Better late than never I suppose. Brother Leveticus has actually been around and getting to find who people are.

gsteelwraith wrote:OOC: Apparently this is a different board from the one I've been posting to. Darned confusing. Better late than never I suppose. Brother Leveticus has actually been around and getting to find who people are.

OK. For the interests of continuity and moving things ahead, I'll just take things from the initial encounter with the Inquisitor (my post 2 above this one).

ChristianC wrote:Chani frowned a little and then nodded, looking as if she was trying to figure out what to say. "It... yes, music in the sense you might mean, yes. It is strange to me to be in a place where words are spoken without thought given to structure, to melody..." she gave a slight smile and shrugged.

"Music is life, and life is beautiful... but it is terrible in its greatness. Is that not such where you hail from?"

As they walked through the mansion Kara cocked her head at Chani; "Music is woven in life on my homeworld, but the cadence is determined by the cycles of nature and the dangers of the swamps rather than through a pattern interpreted by Man. Music itself is dangerous for in certain cycles it can weaken the Walls..." She trails off as if unwilling to finish the sentence.

"Yeah, Lind's the sort of place where a company can live or die depending on their communication chain. And of course, you don't want that sorta thing to get compromised. People who know how to get up and down hive can usually secure a job with one of the groups, delivering parcels or data. It's an okay job, but after a few months you get stuck on the same routes and all that, gets pretty boring. Not a lot of room to advance, either, unless you want to work in dispatch. Or even worse, get stuck in some warehouse sector counting crates..."

He paused his explanation as they entered the inquisitor's lair, removing his cap and clutching it a bit nervously in his hands.

Capntastic wrote:"Yeah, Lind's the sort of place where a company can live or die depending on their communication chain. And of course, you don't want that sorta thing to get compromised. People who know how to get up and down hive can usually secure a job with one of the groups, delivering parcels or data. It's an okay job, but after a few months you get stuck on the same routes and all that, gets pretty boring. Not a lot of room to advance, either, unless you want to work in dispatch. Or even worse, get stuck in some warehouse sector counting crates..."

He paused his explanation as they entered the inquisitor's lair, removing his cap and clutching it a bit nervously in his hands.

In the interests of continuity, I have deleted my post above and am instead placing it below. It happens right after what Huw has just said:

By this point, the cherub has led the garrulous acolytes and the taciturn cleric through several halls of the building into a section of the estate you have not seen before.

It appears ro be one of Inquisitor Hirlock's numerous studies. It is a large room lined with shelves containing books and data-slates. Objets d'art and paintings cover the walls, and in the center of the room stands a 2-meter-wide table with chairs upon a large rug made of the pelt of some xenos beast.

Sholmes is pacing to and fro across the room, hands crossed before him, seemingly lost in thought. When you enter, he casts a seemingly disinterested glance toward you and returns to his pacing.

He is a tall, thin man of pale complexion and seemingly about 55 years of age. He is balding, likely either an affectation or the effect of truly advanced age, considering the rejuve treatments he has access to.

After a few seconds in which he barely seems to acknowledge your presence, he makes a small glick of the wrist. The cherub instantly flies to the table, clutches a small object in its fat little hands, and flies with it to Hirlock. Perching on the Inquisitor's shoulder, it places the pipe (for that is what it is), between his lips, where it ignites through some internal mechanism.

Sholmes takes a long puff on the pipe and the cloying smell of the smoke fills the air.

"Aah, that's better," he says, and extends his hand toward Kara.

"Sanctionite Isaan! You are quite a traveller, from the shadowy forests of Dusk to our holy of holies, and back again. So, how was the flight from Terra? I trust the Holo Ordos provided better accomodations on the voyage from, than to."

OOC: note that nobody knew that she is a psyker unless I have told you otherwise. You do now, though, since Sholmes has mentioned it.

Last edited by InquisitorChris on Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

InquisitorChris wrote:Sholmes takes a long puff on the pipe and the cloying smell of the smoke fills the air.

"Aah, that's better," he says, and extends his hand toward Kara.

"Sanctionite Isaan! You are quite a traveler, from the shadowy forests of Dusk to our holy of holies, and back again. So, how was the flight from Terra? I trust the Holo Ordos provided better accommodations on the voyage from, than to."

Kara steps forward and drops a graceful courtesy with her head deeply bowed despite wearing pants rather than a skirt. Those standing near her could see that she was very tense and unusually focused; "My Lord, the trip to here from Holy Terra was uneventful and the cabin was better than what I am used to. The crew and passengers were strong in their faith in the Emperor and there were no troubles in the Warp." She makes the sign of the Aquila at the mention of the Warp. Her face pales a bit as she continues; "The pilgrimage to Holy Terra on the Black ship was far more rigorous; more so than even the horrors of the night on Dusk."

As Kara continues speaking her voice becomes flatter and more monotone as if repeating a phrase drilled into her; "I am honored to be able to serve the Holy Inquisition with my meager skills."

helvorn wrote:Kara steps forward and drops a graceful courtesy with her head deeply bowed despite wearing pants rather than a skirt. Those standing near her could see that she was very tense and unusually focused; "My Lord, the trip to here from Holy Terra was uneventful and the cabin was better than what I am used to. The crew and passengers were strong in their faith in the Emperor and there were no troubles in the Warp." She makes the sign of the Aquila at the mention of the Warp. Her face pales a bit as she continues; "The pilgrimage to Holy Terra on the Black ship was far more rigorous; more so than even the horrors of the night on Dusk."

As Kara continues speaking her voice becomes flatter and more monotone as if repeating a phrase drilled into her; "I am honored to be able to serve the Holy Inquisition with my meager skills."

Sholmes takes a long drag on his pipe.

"The horrors of the Black Ships are needed; they instill fear before Him on Terra and before the darkness within. I served on one myself long ago. I was in charge of... various things."

His eyes fix on Kara for a moment, and then his lips turn in a wry half-smile.

"Your special talents will doubtless be of use to us here. In the mission on which I am about to send you, you must be alert for warpcraft. Including that within you. If your mercy blade does not hold, I trust your companions will know what to do. May the Light of Terra be with you."

He then looks at James and makes a miniscule bow.

"Esteemed Arbitrator! You carried yourself well enough on Sinophia, though some of your colleagues may not have been able to see it. You are an investigator; your task where you are going is to investigate." He smiles again.

He now casts his gaze at Huw.

"Our hiver from Lind! Greetings! How do the open skies of this ocean planet agree with you?"